Old games are great and all, but sometimes there’s nowhere to buy them. I found this out when, after writing a post about Fallout 3, I couldn’t find a way to purchase a copy of Fallouts 1 or 2. I had been hoping to be able to just grab it somewhere, the way I’d bought Diablo II from Blizzard and downloaded it overnight.

Fortunately, GOG.com has stepped in to fill this void. Once they lauch, their catalog will have all the classic Interplay games and it’ll all be available digitally.

I love the idea of direct download… when copy protection isn’t getting in the way. Luckily, GOG games will feature no copy protection whatesoever. Hooray for that.

(I don’t object to all forms of copy protection. I find Steam to be ever-present but unintrusive, like an obsequious butler.)

I sent an email off to GOG to ask how they finagled Interplay, currently on life support while it regroups with the money it got from selling off the Fallout intellectual property.

Interplay was one of the first publishers we approached. They have created some of the greatest PC games of all time. Their back catalogue is very impressive - Fallout series, MDK 1 and 2, Freespace 1 and 2 and lots more. We are very happy to sign a deal with them. The publishers are generally interested in reviving some of their classic titles. The biggest concern is probably the copy protection issue, but we are sure that a good reception from the gamers will make the talks easier.

It makes perfect sense for Interplay. If the only way for someone to get your old games is to pirate them, why not put something out there and rock the Long Tail?

I also asked if there was any progress getting LucasArts on board with their classics. Sam & Max Hit The Road needs to be out there again.

The LucasArts deal is something we’re trying to get and we’ll do our best to do it, but it’s still something we need to work on.

One other nice thing about the service: The games are guaranteed to work on Windows XP and Vista. That can be a real hassle when you’re trying to get a game to work that was designed for an OS a decade old and hasn’t been patched in as long.

Popularity: 3% [?]